Geo Quiz

Avatar’s Hallelujah Mountain – in China!

By The World ⋅ January 27, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

Let’s go on a “magical tour to Avatar’s floating mountain”. That’s exactly what a city in China’s Hunan province is promoting on its website. And that’s where you come in: we want you to name this Chinese city.

Among its local landmarks is a World Heritage Site called the Wulingyuan scenic area. It’s home to some towering rock formations (soaring sandstone pillars), and spectacular ravines, gorges, and waterfalls.

Flying mountains in the movie 'Avatar'



Locals say the place looks uncannily like the lush alien moon Pandora featured in Avatar. Local officials are hoping tourists will pick up on the similarity too. So there offering tours to what they call the “real world of Pandora”

They’ve even given one craggy peak called the South Sky Pillar a more alluring name. It’s now officially been renamed Avatar’s Hallelujah Mountain. So name this Chinese city with its Pandora look-alike mountains.

Geo Answer:

The answer is Zhangjiajie (张家界). Locals claim their craggy sandstone peaks are just like the floating mountains of Pandora. That’s the idyllic alien moon in Avatar.

Wulingyuan Scenic Area



Another peak, Mount Huang in the eastern part of China is also said to have inspired Avatar’s designers.

But only Zhangjiajie now officially offers a “magical tour to Avatar’s floating mountain.”


Discussion

6 comments for “Avatar’s Hallelujah Mountain – in China!”

  • Dan Erickson

    I’m not convinced. I say Avatar’s scenery and animal designs were based on Roger Dean’s artwork. He did the floating mountain thing over 30 years ago. Go check out some old Yes albums. You remember those things called LPs?

    • Wanda

      Where did Dean get his inspiration?

  • Jan

    Wulingyuan was fearured in an episode of Globe Trekker. I went to China 2 years ago for 3 weeks. We were supposed to go to Wulingyuan, but the trip fell thru. Now I have another reason to return to China.

  • Erik Shapiro

    I was amused to here about another name change in W. Hunan to promote tourism. A few years back, the city of Zhangjiajie – where I’ve visted often – was called Dayong. The airport code is still DY and it is difficult in China to buy a plane ticket to Zhangjiajie until you remind the ticket agent that the old name is Dayong. Dayong changed its name to Zhangjiajie after the nearby park, which was called Zhangjiajie, to promote its association with this amazing place. However, at about the same time, the national government was busy changing the name of Zhangjiajie park to Wulingyuan. So it goes.

  • Tim

    Look at the loading screen for the Tarnished Coast in the video game Guild Wars. Same floating mountains as in Avatar.

    • Laur

      OMG…I looked up Guild Wars and veiwed the Tarnished Coast. That and the floating mountains in Avatar are almost identical. Either someone’s a bit of a copy cat or great minds really do think alike. They are both very pretty.